Shock-absorber for aeroplanes.



W. N. ENSIGN.

SHOCK ABSORBER FOR AEROPLANES. APPILIQATIQN FILED 0011 1, 1912.

1,074,499, Patented Sept. 30, 1913.

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WESLEY N. ENSIGN, OF WHITESTONE, NEW YORK.

I SHOCK-ABSORBER FOR AEROPLAN ES.

Specification 01' Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 30, 1913.

Application filed October 11, 1912. Serial N 0. 725,297.

' To all whom it may concern:

A brace rod 14 pivotally Be it known that I, Wnsnnr N. EnsIoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at \Vhitestone, in the county of Queens and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Shock-Absorbers for Aeroplanes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to shock absorbers for aeroplanes, and has for its object to provide .a simple and eflicie'nt device of this character, whereby the heavy jar, due to the sudden contact of the aeroplane with the ground, will be minimized.

To these ends the invention consists in the novel details of construction and combination of parts more fully hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the clalm.

Referring to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification in which like numerals designate like parts in all the views :Figure 1 1s a view showing my improved device attached to a monoplane. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail view of a portion of the frame of an aeroplane showing my improved device attached thereto, with a part of the cylinder broken away for the sake of clearness.

Suspended beneath the forward portion of the aeroplane l is .the frame 2, to the lower end of the upright of which is connected the wheel base 3.- Pivotally connected as at- 4 to the upper part of the frame, is' a cylinder 5 open at its lower end and adapted to receive a piston 6. The piston 'is adapted to reciprocate within the cylinder and has its piston rod 8 pivotally connected at its lower end to the axle 9 of the wheel base. Strengthening guide rods 10 and 11 are connected to the piston rod and are adapted to reciproate within the guides 12 and 13 connectedto the sides of the cylinder when the piston is operated. connected atone end tothe lower end of the upri ht'2 and. at the other end to the axle 9, hol s the wheel base at a proper distance away from-the frame to effectually operatethe shock absorber when in use.

If desirable, the interior of the cylinder pneumatically absorbed and 'may be provided wlth an air cushion under pressure, in which case air may be admitted therein through the valve 14* located in the side of the. cylinder..

An aeroplane upon coming into contact with the ground when alighting, will first strike upon the wheel base, this will cause the piston rod connected thereto to operate the piston within the cylinder, thereby pneu matically-absorbing the shock and greatly relieving the machine of any unnecessary shocks or jars.

From the foregoing it will be seen that an aeroplane equipped with my improved shock absorber may be more safely brought to a landing, thereby practically minimizing the sudden and dangerous jar due to the may vary the details of construction and arrangements of parts without departing from the spirit of my invention and therefore I do not wish to be limited to such features eX- cept as may be required by the claim.

What is claimed as new is:

In a shock absorber for aeroplanes embodying acylinder for air and a plunger seated therein, the combination with a vertically disposed standard rigidly secured to the frame of the aeroplane at its upper end; of a swinging rod pivotally secured to the lower end of the said standard and extending forwardly from said standard, its forward end journaled to the axle of a supporting wheel, and a member having its upper end'pivotally secured to said standard near the upper end thereof and having in its lower end an air cylinder, a second member having its lower end journaled to the axle of the wheel and having its upper end slidably engaging theexterior of the air cylinder, and having a suitable plungerdisposed with in the cylinder, substantiallyas shown and described. p

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WESLEY N. ENSIGN. 

